Heel plate clamp



Nov. 10, 1931. F. D. REYNOLDS HEEL PLATE CLAMPV Filed Jan, 15, 1931 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 i UNITED STAT FREDERICK D. REYNOLDS, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI HEEL PLATE CLAMP Application filed January 15, 1&31. SerialkNo. 508,945.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in heel plates. u

The particular type of heel plates to which this invention appertains is substantially of 5 crescent shape having a curved intermediate portion and divergent ends. As it is not practicable to make heel plates in a plurality of sizes to fit heels of shoes of various sizes, the heel plates are generally made one size with the end portions occupying outermost positions, whereby saidheel plates can be tted to heels of large sized shoes. To, fit said heel plates to heels of smaller sized shoes, the general practice is to-subject the end portions of the plate to pressure so aste contract said plate and reduce the span be* tween the ends thereof,` The common practice has been to place one end of the plate on a suitable support and tap the 'other end with a hammer. `This method is unsatisfactory as the intermediate portion of the plate has a tendency to buckle, thereby distorting said plate and no rmeans are provided to gauge the extent of contraction. l

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device whereby the heel plate can be clamped in position and the intermediate Y K `.on line 5-45 ofllglire 3,

or curved po'rtionthereoit held again sty di`sto proper shape. j y,

Other objects of the invention are to provide a pair of clamping members between which said heel plate is secured withY the ends thereot exposed so thaty the latter "can be placed under pressure to contract `the same; said plates being provided with interlocking pins and apertures and said pins traversing apertures formed inthe intermediate portion of the heel plate so as to hold the iatter in proper position during .the contraction operation. j

Further objects of the invention are to provide a pair of clamping members for securing therebetween the heel plate, the ends of said heel plate projecting beyond said plates and the latter being provided with suitable indicia cooperating with said projecting ends to indicate the extent of the span of said ends relatively to the various sizes oi shoes tortion while the end portions are contracted Still other obj-@ots of thefinvention are to provide .a .noveliiiethod oi adjusting heel plates which consists in clamping the intere mediate portion .of a heel plate`betwoe1i a pair of plates, interlocking with eaoh other and with. said Plate; and vthen subjeotiiig the es# posed ends oisaid plate to proesiirel to Conf tract the saine. in accordance with the ,merke arranged on one of Said plates. l l

t, With these and other objects in view, my v inventionl consists in certain. novel features of construction and arransementof parte hereinafter more fully deeoribed and claimed,

andilluetratod .in tlio aoooiilpaliyng dfawf iiigain which- Figure l atop plan View oie heel Piate showing it in maximum expanded positioli- 1 Figure Zis a similarV view but showing the samein contracted position.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the devee with the heel plate damped therein, and ShOwingpne end' of ,said Yplate resting on a supportv andV the other end engaged by .a hammer.

Figure 4; is :a vertical cross section with one of die' platee removed- Fignre A5 isahorizontal cross section taken Figure (5 is an enlarged cross section taken on lineQ- of Figure 3- Referringby numerals to the accompanying drawings, l0 indicates a 'heel plate which is substantially of crescent shape 'having an yiuterinediete eiirved oortion 11 and divergent end portiene12..v Tie iaterliledoto portion isl provided with a centrally located aperture 1.4 and a `pair ofapertures Vl5 spaced each equi-distant on each side of said central aperture.v Y

fApertur'es 16 are located in the end portionsv 12 andare suitably spaced from apertures 15, All of these apertures are used vfor mailingfthe heel plate 'in position on the heel and apertures 'lare alsouti'lized during the contraction of the plate as hereinafter more v fully described.

'The' heel plates are generally furnished to the tradeinthe shape shown in Figure v1 and when a smaller sized plate is needed the stock plate is .contracted by applying pressure to the ends thereof, preferably by resting one. end of the heel plate on a suitable support and tapping the other end by a tool, such as a hammer. Quite frequently this operation causes buckling or distortion of the intermediate portion along the inner edge k11a thereof. Also unless extreme care is used the heel plate very often is contracted too much and is rendered unfit for use. l l j In order to prevent the distortion of the plate and to permit gauging thereof so that said plate is contracted to the required size,

I provide a clamping device 17 which securely Y holds the. intermediate portion of the heel plate and provides means by which the extent of the span between the end portions can be readily ascertained.

. rIhis device comprises two plates 18 and l19 which are drawn together by a screw 20 and a butterfly nut 21. The head of the screw is seated in plate 18 and the threaded end of said screw projects through an aperture formed in the other plate and receives nut 21 which can be. drawn against said plate so as to clamp the heel plate in position.

Clamping plates 18 and 19 are substantially semi-circular in shape, the curved sides thereof being arranged adjacent to the outer convex edge 11b of the intermediate portion 11 and the straight sides of said clamping plates being arranged adjacent to and ter'- minating short of the extremities of end portions 12 when said heel plate is placed between said clamping plates.

Clamping plate 19 has fixed thereto and projecting' laterally therefrom a pair of pins 22. These pins are spaced to each side of the centralV axis of said plate and are adapted to extend through apertures 15 of the heel plate and engage correspondingapertures 24 formed in clamping `plate 18. V'Ihus said pins 22 serve to locate the heel plate in proper position between the clamping plates 18 and 19. They also-reinforce the intermediateportion of the'heel plate and in combination with said clamping plates prevent the buckling thereof. #When the heel plate is being contracted while clamped between the plates 18 and 19,. that is, when pressure is applied to the ends. 12, said pins22 act as 'fulcrums, the end portions 12 being moved inwardly toward each other while the central portion 11 is reduced in diameter and the outer convex edge thereof is brought outwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.

@ne of the clamping plates Vand preferably plate 19 is provided along its straight or rear edge with two groupsnof marks 25. Each group consists of a series of spaced lines marked in odd numbers from 5 to'15. These numbers correspond to the` numbers generally used to designate heel plates of various sizes (see Figs. 1 and 2) and said lines or marks 25 indicate the points of intersection of the inner curved edges 12at of ends 12 with the straight edge of said clamping plate. Thus a. heel plate marked 15 when placed in position between the clamping plates has its inner edges of the end portions intersecting the straight edge of the plate at points marked 15 as shown in full lines in Figure 3. A heel plate marked 5 (see Fig. 2) has its inner edges of the-end portions inter secting the straight edge of the clamping plate at a point marked 5 as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.

In this manner the extent of contraction of the end portions of the heel plate can be ""C readily ascertained thereby enabling the shaping of the heel plate in an accurate manner without the danger of spoiling the heelA plate by applying too much pressure to the ends thereof during the shaping operation. n

The clamping screw 20 is arranged preferably in alignment with the central axis of the heel plate and immediately beyond the inner concave edge 11a thereof` as clearly shown in Figure 4. Preferably each heel plate is scored on its outer face along radial lines in spaced relation with the center axis thereof and with the apertures 22, as indicated at 26.

' I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of clamping plates adapted to receive therebetween a heel plate having a plurality of spaced apertures, a pair of pins fixed to and projecting laterally from one of said plates and extending through the apertures of said heel plate'and through coinciding apertures formed in the other clamping plate, and

means for drawing said clamping` plates together so as to clamp therebetween said heel plate, the'ends of the latter being adapted to project beyond the rear edges of said clamping plates.

2. In a device of the class described, a

pair of clamping plates adapted to receive i therebetween a crescent-shaped heel plate, a pair of pins fixed to and projecting laterally from one of said plates and projectingl into .1 the apertures formed in the other of said clamping plates, said pins being adapted to extend through apertures formed in said heel plate, thereby locating the latter in proper relation with respect to said clamping plates,

a screw seated inv one of said clamping plates and projecting through an aperture formed in the other clamping plate, and a nut screw threaded on the projecting` end of said screw and a-dapted to be tightened against the corresponding clamping plate to secure said heel plate in position, the ends of said heel plate being adapted to extend beyond said clamping plates.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of clamping plates substantially semi-circular in shape and adapted to receive therebetween a heel plate substantially crescentshaped, the ends of said heel plate being adapted to extend beyond the straight rear edges of said clamping plates, a pair of pins fixed to one of said clamping plates, and extending laterally therefrom and engaging apertures formed in the other of said clamping plates, said heel plate being provided with a pair of spaced' apertures coinciding with the apertures in said clamping plate whereby said pins extend through said heel plate apertures and hold said heel plate in proper relationship with said clamping f plates, and means for drawing said clampying plates together so as to clamp therebetween said heel plate while the ends thereof are subjected to pressure to contract said heel plate. f

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of clamping plates substantially semi-circular in shape and adapted to receive therebetween a heel plate substantially crescentshaped, the ends of said heel plate being adapted to extend beyond the straight rear edges of said clamping plates, a pair of pins fixed to one of said clamping plates and extending laterally therefrom and engaging apertures formed in the other of said clamping plates, said heel plate being provided with a pair of spaced apertures coinciding with the apertures in said clamping plate whereby said pins extend through said heel plate apertures and hold said heel plate in proper relationship with said clamping plates, means for drawing said clamping plates together so as to clamp therebetween said heel plate while the ends thereof are subjected to pressure to contract said heel plate, and graduations ar ranged on one of said clamping plates adjacent to the rear edge thereof, said graduations being marked and indicating the line of intersection between the inner edges of the end portions of the various sized heel plates.

5. In a device of the class' described, a pair of clamping plates semi-circular in shape and adapted to receive therebetween a heel plate to be adjusted as to size, a pair of pins fixed in one of said clamping plates and projecting laterally therefrom and engaging a pair of apertures formed in the other clamping plate and adapted to pass through corresponding apertures formed in a heel plate, and a screw and wing nut means for drawing said clampv ing plates together and securing therebetween a heel plate.

6. In a device of the class described, a pair of clamping plates semi-circular in shape land adapted to receive therebetween a heel plate to be adjusted as to size, a pair of pins fixed in one of said clamping plates and projecting laterally therefrom and engaging a pair of apertures formed in the lother clamping plate and adapted to pass through corresponding apertures formed in a heel plate,

a screw and Wing nut means for drawing said clamping plates together and securing therebetween a heel plate, and graduations arranged on one of said clamping plates to each side of the central axis thereof and adjacent to the rear edge of same, said graduations indicating the point of intersection between the rear edge of said clamping plate and the inner edges of the end ortions of a heel plate, said graduations being marked to correspond to the marks of the various sized heel plates.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature this 20th day of December, 1930.

FREDERICK D. REYNOLDS. 

